Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
This amazing baked ziti recipe is lightened up with roasted vegetables. Golden mozzarella, sizzling red sauce and pasta make this vegetarian ziti delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Here she is, the lightened-up baked ziti of my dreams. This baked ziti has all of lasagna’s saucy, mozzarella-topped appeal, but is easier to pull off on a regular weeknight. Amen.
When I dreamed up this recipe, I wanted to replace some of the pasta with roasted vegetables. In the end, I was able to displace half of the ziti (8 ounces) with two pounds (32 ounces!) of vegetables.
I chose cauliflower, which develops the most irresistible golden edges as it roasts, red bell pepper and yellow onion. I love this combination, but you could easily use your favorite vegetables here.
It took me a while to find the perfect ratio of mozzarella, marinara, and ricotta (I actually used cottage cheese, more on that in a bit). I believe I’ve hit the nail on the head with the final recipe, and can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you.
The Best Baked Ziti
This baked ziti recipe is so versatile. Here are a few more reasons to love it:
- This vegetarian baked ziti will satisfy everyone. True, it’s meatless, but carnivores love ziti without the meat when it tastes this good.
- This baked ziti would be a great option for a date night or casual entertaining. You’ll have plenty of time between steps to chat and sip wine.
- It’s a quiet recipe to make, too. You don’t have to sauté anything! I feel like this is an underrated recipe quality.
- This ziti can be assembled up to 3 days in advance, so this is a perfect dish to make ahead or bring to a friend who could use a good meal.
- This lightened-up classic Italian dish is surprisingly high in protein. Each serving offers twenty grams!
- This ziti would be awesome with my chopped Italian salad. Feel free to make a simplified version of it.
Watch How to Make Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti Ingredient Notes
This recipe doesn’t require a long list of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
Pasta
Preferably ziti, but rigatoni or penne will also work. I usually opt for whole wheat noodles (love DeLallo and Bionaturae), but those have been harder to come by lately, so I used Whole Foods’ organic ziti for these pictures. Pasta is generally sold in one-pound boxes so you’ll need half of a box.
I believe you could use a sturdy corn and quinoa pasta blend to make this recipe gluten free.
Marinara
I’m a huge fan of my homemade marinara recipe, but since this recipe is supposed to be simple, I opted for a jarred option from the store. My favorite brand is Rao’s, which tastes pretty close to my homemade sauce. If you do want to make homemade marinara, you’ll need to double my recipe to yield the four cups you’ll need for this ziti.
Vegetables
I used cauliflower, bell pepper and onion. If you’re sensitive to onions, you might want to swap the onion for something else (maybe a sweet potato?).
You can use up your leftover vegetables in this ziti recipe. You’ll need about two pounds prepared vegetables to make it work. Keep in mind that heads of broccoli or cauliflower weigh twice as much as they yield in florets (so a two-pound bunch of broccoli will yield about one pound of florets).
Fresh Basil
Now, you could skip the basil, but it adds a lot of irresistible fresh flavor to jarred marinara, and livens up the cheesy finished dish. In my opinion, it is worth buying!
Mozzarella
Part-skim mozzarella is ideal here, since it develops a beautiful golden shade in the oven. It also makes your finished dish less greasy than it would be if you used full-fat mozzarella.
It’s best to grate your cheese yourself, rather than to buy the pre-shredded kind (you’ll also save money this way). Pre-grated cheese is typically coated in starch or powder that can inhibit its melty factor.
Cottage Cheese (or Ricotta)
Scandalous, I know! I genuinely prefer cottage cheese to ricotta here, even though I can’t stand cottage cheese on its own. Ricotta tends to get gummy when heated, which bothers me, whereas cottage cheese turns magically more creamy and delicious. Use whichever one you prefer in lasagna recipes.
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
Use half-sheet pans. If only everyone owned these basic half-sheet pans (affiliate link). They offer a lot of surface area, so your vegetables have some breathing room while they roast.
Be sure to use a big baker. You’ll need a three quart baker (think 9×13″ with deep sides) for this one. Here’s mine. To err on the side of caution against overflow, I’ve instructed you to place the baker on a clean rimmed baking sheet when it’s in the oven.
Don’t overcook your pasta. In fact, you want it a little bit undercooked, so cook it for the shortest amount of time offered on the package. It should still have a little bite to it when you drain it, since it will continue to cook while it’s in the oven.
Please let me know how this baked ziti recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Craving more Italian comfort food? Don’t miss these recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Baked Ziti with Lentils
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils and Marinara Sauce
- Classic Minestrone Soup
Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
This amazing baked ziti recipe is lightened up with roasted vegetables. Golden mozzarella, sizzling red sauce and tender pasta make this vegetarian ziti super delicious! Recipe yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
Roasted veggies
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into wedges about ½″ wide
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, divided
Pasta and everything else
- 8 ounces ziti, rigatoni or penne pasta
- 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought), divided
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
- 8 ounces (2 packed cups) grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, divided
Instructions
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To roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
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Place the cauliflower florets on one pan. On the other pan, combine the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle half of the olive oil over one pan, and the other half over the other pan. Sprinkle the salt over the two pans. Gently toss until the vegetables on each pan are lightly coated in oil.
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Arrange the vegetables in an even layer across each pan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the veggies and swapping their rack positions halfway (lower rack to upper rack, and vice versa). Leave the oven on at 425, because we’re going to bake the dish at the same temperature. If you end up with any stray burnt onion pieces, discard them, and set the vegetables aside.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions (it will continue to cook while it bakes in the oven, so you want the pasta to still have a little bite to it). Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
- Add 2 cups of the marinara, the chopped basil, and ½ cup of the mozzarella to the pasta. Gently stir to combine.
- It’s assembly time! Spread 1 cup of additional marinara sauce inside a 9 by 13-inch baker. Top with half of the pasta mixture, and gently spread it into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle the roasted cauliflower on top, then dollop 1 cup of the cottage cheese over the cauliflower (it doesn’t need to be spread into an even layer), followed by ½ cup of the mozzarella.
- Top the mozzarella with the remaining pasta. Then sprinkle the roasted peppers and onion on top, dollop the remaining cup of ricotta on top, then dollop the remaining cup of marinara on that, then sprinkle the remaining cheese all over.
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Place a clean, rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drippings. Place the ziti, uncovered, on top of the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to the upper rack for 2 to 5 more minutes until the cheese is deeply golden, if desired.
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Remove the baker from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving (trust me). Sprinkle freshly torn basil on top, slice with a sharp knife, and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my lentil baked ziti and Allison Roman’s baked ziti.
Make it gluten free: Substitute sturdy gluten-free pasta (such as a corn and quinoa blend).
Advance preparation: You could roast the vegetables up to 3 days in advance. You can also go ahead and assemble the whole thing and refrigerate until baking. It’s probably a good candidate for freezing before baking, too. Please let me know if you try.
Dairy free/vegan note: I’m not sure if this recipe is a good candidate to make vegan, since the cheese offers both volume and structure. My best guess would be to double the recipe for my vegan sour cream (also available in my cookbook, page 217) and use 2 cups instead of the cottage cheese. Omit the mozzarella and use all of the tomato sauce for the final layer. Serve the lasagna with a dollop of additional sour cream on top or, better yet, basil pesto.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi I just had a question…I was trying to click on doubling the on the x2 scale you provided for doubling the vegetable ziti..but it’s only changing the doubling on the ingredient for basil. Is that a glitch? Or is that the only thing to double? Sorry I was wondering since I’m new for making this type of dish.
Hi Marie! I will check what is going on. You will want to double everything. Be sure to use a big enough pan or separate it into two.
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times. I use 16 oz of pasta however.
My family loves all your recipes that I make.
Thank you for sharing, Mike!
I’m anxious to try this, but have to ask a question. I have a lot going of food challenges and can not tolerate cauliflower. Any suggestions for a substitute? And, by the way, I use cottage cheese (lactose free) in my lasagna all the time.
I make something very similar to this recipe and just use whatever veggies I have (squash, zucchini, eggplant, spinach). I have even ordered stuffed veggie pizza and the crust was awful so I scraped the ricotta, meat and veggies out and used that.
Hi Sharon! You could try broccoli or any other vegetable you like. I hope you like it!
Help!!!
I made the zita a day ahead so I could cook it up tomorrow & I’ve just discovered I’ve left half the cauliflower in the fridge, rather than in the zita where it belongs!!
Obviously I cant disassemble the entire thing to add the missing cauliflower, but is there anyway I can add it into the mix, either before I bake it, tomorrow or after I take it out of the oven???
Did you already roast the cauliflower? Try mixing it in when you serve.
I made this last night and, while I have never been a super fan of marinara sauce (much to the dismay of my Italian grandparents), the addition of roasted veggies certainly elevated the flavors of simple red sauce. I debated adding in the basil, but I went ahead and got it and added it and I was so glad I did. It gave that extra little sweet/savory blend that basil is so good at.
The kids totally loved it, even filled with cauliflower and bell pepper. My husband took leftovers to work.
Next time I think I’ll throw in an extra onion and pepper even.
I’m glad you love it!
This dish is amazing! Love the roasted veggies. They make this so much more flavourful than a standard pasta, sauce and cheese recipe. I’ll definitely be putting this into regular dinner rotation.
Thank you Kate for sharing this delicious recipe. I made it using broccoli instead of cauliflower, and it turned out great. I also didn’t use as many vegetables, and a little more pasta, and it still turned out very well.
I’m glad you loved it, Cheryl!
Kate — your recipes are always so delicious, and this was no exception!! We made this tonight and loved that we got some veggies in our toddler. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jessica!
Was excited to try a vegetarian ziti recipe. However, this recipe was quite disappointing. Too much sauce and very bland. Perhaps could use more vegetables or a different blend of cheeses. I won’t make this again.
Ina Garten has something similar but LOTS more work and cheese. She uses eggplant and zucchini. Going to try that as I love roasted eggplant. This sounds delicious. I don’t normally use jar sauce but found one I love. San Marzano Marinara Oreganata. It says The Silver Plate at the top. It has imported San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Wendy. You would always use your favorite sauce here and add different vegetables.
We had this recipe just tonight and wow! It was absolutely wonderful! The perfect balance of cheese, sauce, and vegetables. Thank you so very much, we will be sure to try many more of your amazing recipes in the future!
You’re welcome, Zoe! Thank you for your review.
I really like the recipe. I added cooked organic brown turkey and mix with ziti. It was a hit at my company potluck and at home. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks or sharing, Michelle.
I used this recipe as a base for creating a vegetarian pasta dish and I loosely followed it. I used a jar of traditional Ragu and 1 small can of tomato paste for the sauce. I went with the low-fat cottage cheese and have to agree with this recipe author, it’s better than ricotta and nobody could believe it was cottage cheese. For veggies, I used sauteed onions, portabella mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and fresh basil and oregano from my garden. It was crazy good. My finicky dinner guests loved it, saying it was restaurant quality. And they live in NY so that’s a huge compliment. They asked for the recipe so I guess I have to admit that I didn’t make the sauce from scratch!
I’m happy it was able to provide inspiration, Vicki! Thank you for your review.
Hi – I’d like to cut this in half to make it as I am the only one to eat it. Do you foresee any problems if I just halve all the ingredients? Thanks!
That should work just fine!
I’ve made it a couple times and made some changes based on our preferences. I double your marinara sauce recipe and use one package noodles (14 oz) and add one pound sausage. I also sub zucchini for the roasted onion and we split it up into two 8×8 pans since we’re a small family. We love this recipe though and it is a wonderful base!! I start the sauce first and it’s finished by assembly time. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your variation, Janelle!
Hi Kate, I did try freezing and cauliflower lost some flavor but it was still good!
can I use fresh moz? thank you!
Making this for the second time! Trying it with broccoli instead of the cauliflower (my husband can’t stand it ) and throwing in some roasted zucchini that needed using. Also using your marinara recipe this time! So excited to eat this again. Thanks for having so many delicious recipes that I can even get carnivores on board with!
I loved this recipe! I folowed the recipe with no changes and it turned out so delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the cauliflower in this dish. I used the jarred sauce instead of your marinara sauce recipe (which I love and make probably once a week). I like the red pepper flakes in the marinara recipe so I may add a dash of that to the jarred sauce the next time I make this recipe. Thank you for another great one, Kate!
Thought it was bland. The cauliflower and marinara just didn’t have any zip. Hmm. I think I’m spoiled by your homemade sauces and stuff from the jar just can’t compete.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it! Try a different marinara next time or you can add some of your favorite spice. Thanks for your feedback!
Hello,
I just discovered your lovely site yesterday and am excited for all the recipes (there are many I want to try right away!). I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! I used ricotta and reduced the amount of both cheeses (used about 3/4 the amount) and used a gluten-free penne. Yum!
Welcome, Merrily! I’m happy you came across the blog. I’m glad you liked this one!
I made this recipe however chose to add some meatballs on the top for my family of carnivores! Everyone loved it. The roasted veggies (I used three colors of sweet peppers and Vidalia onions) really do add a lively flavor to the dish. And I agree the cottage cheese was a great addition and melted beautifully. I will make this again! Maybe next time I can talk them into the all veggie recipe!
I make my own ricotta–it’s super easy and the results are far superior to the store bought stuff that’s full of gums (which is why it gets grainy when cooked) and sodium.
Delicious! I used whole wheat penne and subbed the cauliflower for broccoli. I was worried it wouldn’t be enough pasta but with all the veggies it still felt plenty filling. My toddler and husband both devoured it. It was actually perfect for my 1year old as well (just cut up the noodles a bit.) Leftovers tasted even better! Definitely a keeper.
I’m happy you loved it, Steph!
I made a double recipe for one of my teenage son’s club meetings. One I made with roasted veggies (Vidalia onion, squash and broccoli). I only had frozen broccoli, so I microwaved for a few minutes, chpped up and roasted with the other veggies. Worked great! The other I used ground sirloin for my meat eaters. This was a huge hit!
Hello! This sounds so good – I’m new to trying vegetarian cooking and I love this idea. Have you ever tried this recipe with frozen veggies? I’m curious if those would work as well as fresh, simply because I have trouble finding good, fresh produce. Thanks so much!
That should work fine. Just thaw them out prior to roasting. Let me know how this works for you!
Omg, this turned out so well, and even my non-vegetarian friends were raving. I was looking for what was seasonal and cheap at the market, so ended up with red bell pepper, cauliflower and sweet potato. A keeper!
Wonderful! Thanks for your review, Kate.
made it last night for Meat Free Monday with your chopped italian Salad!was a hit with the family!
This was so so good! Everyone in my family loved it! I loved all the veggies in it. I mixed a regular marinara with a truffle marinara and it was amazing. I am loving so many of these recipes!
Perfect fall recipe! Thank you!
I made this tonight for my 1/2 vegetarian family. It can be difficult to make something that everyone finds satisfying. Everyone liked this. I made it as per the instructions. Because we like to eat fairly early I think I will prepare the roasted vegetables ahead.
I will make this part of my regular rotation.
You are incredibly talented Kate.
Thank you, Alana!
Loved the layers of flavor with this dish! I did purchase low sodium marinara sauce and was concerned about the flavor so I grated a clove of garlic into each of the plain marinara layers. I used whole grain rigatoni. The smokey flavor of the onions and red pepper was my favorite part of this recipe and I think I’d add an additional onion when roasting the peppers/onions just to experiment. It really was good just the way the recipe was written and I will make this again.
I’m happy to hear that, Shylo!
I’m so happy I found this recipe. I’ve made it three times now!
Love that, Natasha!
I have made this recipe many times when I have friends or family for dinner. It is delicious! Thank you for the great recipes.
I’m going to make this tonight and freeze. Wish me luck!
Let me know how it freezes for you, Lauren!
Can this dish be frozen? Thanks,
Hi Marie! I don’t typically have luck with freezing dishes like this as it tends to get watery when thawed, sorry.
I just made this exactly as created and it’s amazing. I used cottage cheese as I’m not a big fan of ricotta either. I have to say this is truly satisfying and you’re right…the combination of the cauliflower, red pepper and onion are perfect! I am not a vegetarian but purchased your cookbook(and follow your blog) because I knew I needed to get more vegetables in my diet. You’ve made it so easy to do that! I’ve actually limited quite a bit of meat from diet and don’t miss it. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you loved it and got my book, Cheryl.
I want to make this but I have frozen cauliflower not fresh. Can I roast thawed cauliflower?
Yes, that should work too!
Your instructions are overwhelming. Perhaps a little less for future
I’m sorry you find them overwhelming. I have found readers appreciate the detailed instructions to make sure it’s clear on what the recipe calls for. I appreciate your feedback.
Kate I think your instructions are just perfect! My daughter, her resident mate and myself think your recipes are fantastic! I bought your cookbook for Christmas presents this year and think I will splurge and buy one for myself!
Chris
Hi Kate (or anyone else who has tried this)! Do you use low-fat cottage cheese or regular, or does it not make a difference?
Cheers!
Leslie
I prefer regular :) I hope you try it!
Hi Kate! – Your site was recommended to me by a nutritionist who knew I am a novice cook with an interest in adding more vegetarian dishes to the family menu. This ziti was the first I made, and granted it’s probably hard to go far wrong with anything including pasta and cheese but this really was delish! Thank you SO much for your blog – I think your site looks amazing and I look forward to browsing through for more recipes. :-)
~Jay (recovering engineer)
I’m so happy you were recommended to the blog and loved it, Jay!
This recipe was amazing! I didnt have ricotta so I used a cup of Parmesan instead, and I only had 3 cups of marinara so I added a can of diced tomatoes. My whole family loved this meal, thanks!
I just made this tonight and omgggg it was sooo good! My husband loved it too! For the veggies I used mushrooms, squash, and broccoli, it was amazing, definitely adding this to the monthly rotation!! Love your recipes!
Kate, Do you think this would work with a bechamel sauce instead of the marinara? I’d like to try that. Would you change up any of the veggies?
Hi Sue! I’m not sure without trying it, sorry. I would think it would be an entirely different recipe with the different flavor profiles.
Hello. I’m planning to make this for holiday festivities. Should I bake it and keep it in the fridge or freezer?
Or should I assemble it, then freeze (or fridge), and then bake when I’m ready to serve?
Question – I see it was not answered in a previous poster – if I want to make this in advance, do I make it, freeze and then bake it, or bake it and let it cool, then freeze it?
Hi Corinna, I don’t freeze all my recipes and typically don’t have luck with these type of recipes freezing well. Sorry!
thanks for great ideas. I’m making a meat lasagne and a veg lasagna. I’m going to use your idea of roasted cauliflower, onion and red pepper along with spinach on veg version. did not yet make
Made this recipe today and I really loved it! I used broccoli instead of cauliflower, due to personal preference. I also used pesto since I didn’t have fresh basil. The taste was phenomenal.
You have created some truly amazing recipes, Kate! I have been a visitor to your blog for more than a year and I have tried quite a few recipes from here as well as your cookbook. I truly appreciate your efforts!
I like the changes! Thanks for sharing, Pooja.
re: Making this vegan – A long time ago, I had a lasagna recipe that replaced ricotta with silken tofu. It worked great and might be a good substitute here too. Thanks for all the great recipes. I’m going to make this one soon.
Thanks for sharing, Angela!
Hi Angela just curious if you made a vegan version of this and how it turned out? This recipe looks so delicious and I’d like to try a vegan version.
Joanne,
I have not done that with this recipe. Years ago, I had a lasagna recipe that used silken tofu in place of ricotta and it worked well. I don’t think that recipe was vegan, though; it was just a way to add non-meat protein. These days, there are much better vegan cheese options than back then, so it would probably work very well. -a
This was great. For my veggies, I did some orange and red peppers, half an onion, and some sliced mushrooms, seasoned with salt pepper and garlic powder. Added grated parm to the top before baking. I made a half portion and forgot the second layer of cottage cheese and it was still delicious. Very flexible recipe, you could probably do just about any vegetable. Next time I might pull it out of the oven a few minutes earlier. The whole thing had this wonderful smoky quality. Yum yum.
I have this in the oven right now…a new recipe for New Year’s Eve.
It smells so good…can’t wait to eat it!
Thanks
I made this dish for our New Year’s day meal today, and it was delicious! I used cauliflower, onions, red bell pepper, and some left over baby spinach as the veggies and it looks just like your pictures. My husband loved it. He has gout and doctors have advised him to stop eating meat to avoid painful flair-ups. I have had him look through your cookbook and asked him to tell me which dishes he would eat- and he said “all of them.” So far, I’ve made at least four of your recipes and they have all been hits with him. Thank you so much.
I’m going to make this for a dinner party, and I need to add some italian sausage. In which layer would you suggest I incorporate the sausage? Thanks!
I just found your blog this year and love it. I was inspired by your end-of-the-year list of top recipes in 2019 and decided to look back to prior years. I gave this recipe a try tonight and it was a winner with my family. I made it with cauliflower, red pepper, onions and added mushrooms. As I was roasting veggies I threw in a head of garlic with olive oil and roasted it also, then added some roasted cloves to the ziti. I don’t think I added enough to make a difference ultimately, but I may go for more next time. Regardless, it was delicious and I will make it again!
I’m so glad you came across the blog this year! Thank you for following along.